An Early August Somewhat Organized Rambling of the Thoughts (otherwise known as a daybook)

Outside my window...

A cool and quiet dawn.

Thankful for...

life, healthy children, Brian, good friends, mercy.

Thinking about...

personality types.

Every time I take the Meyers-Briggs I fall right in the middle, especially on the Introvert/Extrovert scale. Depending on the day, I fall to either side. I like personality tests when they give us insights to help us improve and build our character but I dislike when they are simply used to rationalize unhealthy, jerky, or just plain rude behavior. I've often wondered where Christ would fall on the tests. My guess is right in the middle of each of the four dichotomies. Being more extroverted or introverted as the situation and response to the Spirit required. Equally intuitive and sensory. Thinking just as much as feeling. Judging and perceiving.

The Facebook Main Page- I can post on my blog page and in very helpful groups without going to the main wall which I appreciate. I'd love to hang out there all day and be a part of all the fun conversations and know all the people and chat all the time. I would. But I can't. And more often than not, going to the main wall leaves me a little restless and a little less satisfied.

Mindlessly scrolling Pinterest - My latest escape. I love Pinterest as a tool. I have things pinned there that I use all the time. But scrolling through mindlessly is simply an unhealthy escape for me, plain and simple.

Struggling with...

finding joy.

This summer has found me really really struggling with finding the joy. It's strange because it happened like the flip of a switch, literally over night. Which is why I know it's a straight on attack from you-know-who teasing my weaknesses and tickling my wounds. I have so many good things happening and that I've been working on and life is so. good. right now. I realized how "coincidental" it all was the other day and then it all clicked. But I could still use some prayers for strength and for eyes to see my life for what it truly is.

From the kitchen...

this afternoon will find me roasting our second last turkey from the fall batch as a little treat for the Transfiguration feast day. We have no meat chicken or turkey plans to fill up the freezer after that. We should probably get on that?

Creating...

new daily schedules and expectations for each of the older boys.

a new weekly women's group to complement the men's group that my husband attends and leads! How fun is that? If you're one of my local readers that didn't already get info and would like to, please shoot me an email! We'd love to have you.

a quick little newborn hat for a summer baby due any day now. I'm using organic cotton from Lion and a very simple rolled bottom pattern of nine that is now firmly ingrained in my head.

Reading...

I've barely picked up Perelandra but I'm supposed to be reading that. Instead I've been opting for The Beginner's Guide to Beekeepingthat a client's husband loaned me. It's fascinating. I love that John Paul pored through the book in a couple of days and is over the moon excited to try this out. Bees were all he would talk about for three days straight. He and I are pretty hooked and plans are in progress for the spring!

Going...

to a family wedding this weekend!

And it's our first time leaving the kids with a paid babysitter for a big chunk of time. I'm nervous. I know that's silly but I am. Mostly for bedtime and a certain young chap who does not go to bed well and a certain young toddler who is very very used to the way Papa does things and who I'm afraid will be thrown off by someone else. I actually wouldn't mind some prayers for that, too, if ya got 'em!

Around the house...

spiders.

Every year we get wolf spiders making webs in the outside corners of the windows and in the siding. They're gross and taunt me daily.

The mudroom is done with painting. Now it just needs the light replaced, the floor carpeted, and a little work done to the door.

Other things on the house list: finally replace the kitchen sink, fill in some awkward patches around the porch with ground cover, and finally maybe get that rickety death trap of an old chicken coop torn down. I actually asked for that last thing for my birthday. How sad is that?

Praying...

for the Christians being persecuted in the Middle East. God, give them strength.

5 comments

Meyers-Briggs - I have taken it a few times and land in the lower right corner every time. I find it useful to understand how other people approach and work on tasks/thoughts very differently than me. The pastor at my church came out on the upper left corner. We approached things very differently but knowing the personality of the 2 of us made it possible to work together or discuss topics and understand why the other person took a different approach. We agreed on most things but had very different ways of getting there.

Joy - I get it. I remember going through a period years ago when I could not feel the same as I knew I had before. I prayed often about it and one day driving through an intersection it suddenly returned as though a light had flashed in my head. Very strange but wonderful. On an even stranger note that intersection now has a photo enforced red light and there are actual flashes of light when someone goes through it on red!

Bees - How exciting and with your pear trees you should have plenty of bees.

At least the old chicken coop is on the other side of the garage so even though you know it is there you don't have to see it every day.

I find personality tests fairly useless for the reasons you site. We all behave differently depending on mood, environment and even expectations (and, of course, the Spirit!). I am fairly introverted, but I don't mind chatting on the internet, and my husband, who is extroverted, works in a job where many special events are expected and I can not just be a wall flower. So, I go, and I come out of my shell a lot more than normal.

Your boys will be fine! I almost never left my children over night, and I wish I had. No one ever offered, and we never asked. But, I have learned from helping my neighbor with twin toddler girls that they always do better than she thinks they will. They don't have the same expectations of me that they do of mom and dad. They just do it my way when I am putting them to bed or feeding them, or whatever -- I don't think it occurs to them to do it any other way.

PS I really get the joylessness (or maybe less joyousness). I am also going through a period and I had really attributed it to hormones, and dealing with pain, but maybe it's not those things at all. I am trying so very hard to see my blessings, but it's difficult. I think you're right, that sometimes just knowing where "it" is coming from is a beginning.

Thank you so much, Barbara! The funny thing is it's not even an overnight! Just a long day but she'll have to feed them dinner and put them to bed...the bedtime thing is likely not going to go all that smoothly...Pray for me and I'll pray for you, okay?

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